


But If I Do Die, I Know You'll Be By My Side

by piratesandthieves



Category: Saints Row
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, ficlit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-02-11 16:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12938940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piratesandthieves/pseuds/piratesandthieves
Summary: A series of fics about my Boss. Not in any particular order. All set in the same universe from Saints Row I-III. May add IV eventually.





	1. Driver in Training Proceed with Caution

"Can you teach me to drive?”

 

A is not in purple but Lin is in blue. Lin looks at the kid leaning on her car. She's too young and too eager for violence which only makes Lin like A better. A is clearly messing with something in her hoody pocket and glances up at her than at the road then back at her. The kid is usually quietly in the background. Lin appreciates the boldness.

 

"You've never driven?" Lin asks in return. A seems to think over her answer. A is like that, using as few words as possible. 

 

"Not like you," A replies simply. Lin smiles and considers for a moment. It would be smart to avoid being seen with a saint well she's undercover. However, A looks eager and she's low key enough that she doubts anyone would think twice of her.

 

"Alright. Get in the car," Lin states and slides into the driver seat. A runs over to the door and slides onto the seat. She shoots Lin a grin that says nothing but trouble. Lin shoots one right back.

 

"You are old enough to have a license right?" Lin jokes a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. A shoots a glare over and flips her off.

 

"I'm nineteen."

 

Lin nods slowly, it's more information than she usually gets from A. Nineteen is still a kid though. More and more recruits were younger and younger. She wonders at what happened that made A end up here. Not for long though as the car stops in a parking lot and Lin begins showing her how to make a car drift on turns. Then they switch seats and A gives it a try.

 

The first try is not even close but Lin just tells her to try again.

 

Lin holds onto a handle as the car bumps the curb as A drifts too late again. A has a single minded approach to everything that she does. Driving is no different. She may curse when she doesn’t get it right but nothing pushes her to stop.

 

"A little earlier okay?" Lin states. On the next turn A gets it right and drifts the corner before gunning the car again. Lin and A both cheer and high five as A slows down.

 

"I can't believe it! Hell yeah!!” A whoops. Lin laughs and they hug across the front seat.

 

"Looks like you have some racing skills at least." Lin smirks at her and A whoops and speeds up hitting a different turn and drifting on it. "Let's keep doing some practice and then we can get Freckle Bitches."

 

A smiles at one of the few other women in the gang and does another dozen drifts before they switch seats. Lin drives them both to freckle bitches. She speeds the whole way there and drifts every corner like some kind of Goddess of pavement and burnt rubber. A watches her as they fly across the road and is in love with the way Lin's eyes light up. There is something eternal in the way the sun hits the windshield and the road flies behind them.

 

It'll be over soon though A knows. Lin knows it too. Lin has to keep up appearances and hanging out with a saint would ruin that. A rolls down a window and smiles at the hot summer air.

 

But they could have tonight at least.


	2. Hats in summer

"Take that off right now." Dex commands when A walks in the room. A glances over at him with her eyebrows raised.

 

"Hmmm?" A replies. Dex glares at the identical visor on her head.

 

"You know what I said."

 

"If it's my clothes- you should've told me earlier that we've been flirting," A smirks.

 

"Take off the damn visor!" Dex yells and moves towards her but A is too fast. She slides away from him.

 

It had been around noon when Stillwater is all sun and heat when A had seen the visor. She had immediately bought four. The lunch she had gone out to get forgotten because of a new great idea. An idea she was executing perfectly.

 

"You don't like my hat?" A says in mock heartbreak. Dex rolls his eyes and reaches to grab it again. A once again shifts over.

 

"Hey what's going on?" Johnny's voice cuts through the quiet radio playing in the background of Dex's office. Dex turns to complain and stops.

 

"You got Johnny in on this? I shouldn't be surprised. You two feed off each other's shitty ideas," Dex says shaking his head.

 

"In on what? I'm just trying a new look," Johnny says with a grin. He passes a soda to A who takes a drink of it. She licks her lips at the ice cold beverage. Dex glares between them both.

 

"Just give me the damn hats." Dex tries before reaching out to grab Johnny's hat. Luckily, Johnny is too fast and too tall to be in danger.

 

"Hey will you guys knock it off," Troy says as he comes in.

 

"Thank you!" Dex yells before turning and seeing Troy wearing a matching hat. Dex looks like he might scream.

 

"How many hats did you guys buy? If I walk outside and all the saints have my hat I swear-" Dex groans. A, Troy, and Johnny laugh together.

 

"Hey admit it, it was a pretty good prank," Johnny says as A bumps Dex. Dex glares at her but chuckles.

 

"Okay it wasn't bad-" he starts as Julius Little himself walks in with Dex's hat on. Dex turns around and walks back to his desk and lays his head down. Julius is greeted with a round of compliments on his new look. Julius chuckles quietly.

 

"I can't believe you would join in too."

 

Julius shrugs well A and Johnny continue to crack up.

 

"It was a good plan- how could I not?"

 

Dex groans again.


	3. The Prodigal Daughter

There is something inherently strange about coming home and seeing everything has changed. It's not a new feeling for Alia. In fact it's happened to her at least three times in Stillwater alone.

 

She is happy to be in Stillwater as always. There was something about the city- about her city- that she loves. It could be because she feels like she knows every part of it. There is old graffiti from the Vice Kings on one building, an old tag of hers on another. Her style is slightly different now a days but she smiles at the sight of it.

 

Now that she was an A Lister, people bought her graffiti. Saints had always complemented her on it but it was weird seeing people that might even hate her still grudgingly admitting her talent. Every crib in Stillwater had some tag she had come up with. If a saint wanted a tag, Alia would give them one for free.

 

Alia drives down another block and points out more graffiti to Johnny. Johnny smiles and remarks on every tag they see. There are old tags for the Kings and Johnny glares as they pass a Ronan one. However, it is predominantly purple tags- not all are hers but enough that she feels pretty proud.

 

"I didn't realize you had tagged so many places," Johnny remarks as he reloads a gun. Alia gives a small smile, barely lifting the corner of her mouth.

 

"You have to remember when I woke up from the coma, I was obsessed with seeing everything. I have this city mapped out." Alia says and speeds up slipping through traffic like it's second nature. The cars they pass are close enough to touch.

 

"Shit you mean when you were hiding all over the city? Nobody could ever find you. Thank god you answered my calls or we'd have lost you for good," Johnny laughs. They pass a billboard advertising Saints merchandise. Both of them watch it as they pass. Words don't need to be said. Alia knows that Johnny hates what's happening to the Saints. Alia just doesn't want anymore of her friends to die.

 

They stop and get Freckle Bitches, their go-to place. Once they have a bag of food, they drive again. Johnny knows that they aren't going anywhere specific, they are just driving. A way to clear their heads and see their city.

 

Alia points out all the places she used to hide. An abandoned drive in movie theater, the mountaintop she would race bikes on, the pirate ship restaurant, the docks by Stillwater University, and about a dozen more. The smell of their Freckle Bitches slowly fills the car until one of them rolls down the windows. Then it's just crisp night air filling the car. They drive by one of their penthouses and Alia simply points at the helicopter pad.

 

"What were you doing out there? When you were alone?" Johnny asks because he had wondered for years now.

 

"I was just thinking about my life I guess. Things that could have happened. How everything had changed. I was just trying to understand my city." Alia says and Johnny doesn't need to mention what a terrible thing it must have been. He knows it was terrible. He knows that Alia and A are both the same and incredibly different.

 

"I understand." Johnny says and A smiles as she pops a fry in her mouth because she knows he does.

 

"But how did you tag up there," Johnny says and points to a sheer cliff face featuring her tag. Alia grins and shrugs.

 

"Get good." Johnny punches her arm and they both laugh.


	4. Arguments

Johnny and Alia were more alike than was good for anyone else. It was not common for them to argue and they generally leaned more towards bantering or physically wrestling and messing around. The argument today was an exception.

Shaundi sent the few saints still upstairs down to the bar and away from where Johnny and Alia were. The office walls were barely dampening the noise of the argument but Pierce would have a party in swing soon. That would cover the noise. Johnny and the boss were supposed to look like a unified front and Pierce and Shaundi would make sure it looked like they were.

"This isn't the saints and you know it!!" Johnny yells at Alia. Alia stares him down with pure rage.

"It's not your choice it's mine." She states voice ice cold. Pierce is downstairs distracting the saints at their crib. Shaundi leaves Johnny and Alia to work through their shit.

"When was the last time we shot somebody? Or fought anyone? Instead I've been at four photo shoots this week!!” Johnny yells. Alia gets close enough to him that she could lean forward and be against Johnny.

“Did you disagree?” Alia asks quietly. Johnny huffs but doesn’t say anything. Alia regrets it immediately. Alia knows that the reason he never says anything about this I because Johnny trusts Alia. Johnny trusted Alia back when she was still scrawny, quiet A. She never wants to hold that trust against him.

"I'm doing what's best for the gang.” A says and it’s not loud but it leaves no room for argument. 

"You aren't doing what you want though. I know you miss it too." Johnny says and he's not yelling anymore. Shaundi is gone and the crib feels huge and empty. Alia wishes they were in an old church instead of an underground hotel. 

"Johnny you've almost died twice since I knew you-"

"That's got shit to do with this-"

“It’s got everythin- Johnny listen to me! You've almost died twice since I knew you. Lin is dead. Carlos is dead. Aisha is dead. I get it people die in this life but... I'm tired of my friends dying. I don't know what I'd do if you died.I can’t be alone,” Alia exhales and steps away from Johnny.

She finds a beer and chugs the whole thing before brining one to Johnny. It's some cheap brand that reminds her of that first spring with the saints. Johnny drinks his slowly and she can feel his eyes following her as she paces the room, ever the caged animal. The shadowy light only adds to the effect.

"If we are a business first and a gang second then people don't get hurt. Not the gang. Not Pierce. Not Shaundi. Especially not you," Alia states before slumping onto one of the couches in the Purgatory office. Johnny picks her up and sits down repositioning Alia so her legs are across his lap. Alia ignores any heat that comes to her face- Johnny isn’t looking and couldn’t see the red in her darker skin.

“People can always get hurt,” his voice is deep and loud when he is so close. Outside the music pounds. Alia tucks her feet under Johnny’s legs to warm them up.

"Not like before. I know you hate all this media bullshit and I’m sorry. We can go shoot some drug dealers later or maybe find someone else causing trouble with the saints," Alia says and it's a small hold over and she knows it. 

Johnny knows it, too.

“Okay,” he answers. 

He finishes his beer and leans back against the couch. It's not what he wants but it's enough for now. One hand rubs his leg. Alia knows its his old injury acting up again.

"I wish we could go back sometimes. Back to the start. When I still thought we were helping. When all my friends were still here. When I wasn't like this." Alia sighs. Johnny is watching her carefully from behind his glasses.

"Like what?" He asks and it is surprisingly gentle for Johnny Gat.

"Whatever Julius created. All bloodlust and revenge. I don't even have my face anymore." Alia thinks of the skin grafts that she knows Johnny has seen. She thinks of the huge scar across her face and the burns across her back.

"Well Julius turned his back on us when he made us into what we were. He’s a traitor and a coward. As for your face- I think you're just as gorgeous as ever, A," Johnny says with a smirk. Alia tries to ignore the heat that rushes to her face. Johnny is her best friend in the whole world and nothing else. “I get it though. Back at the start was good. It was easier.”

“I guess it was worse in some ways too. I was a step away from being homeless and having to deal with the gang on top of my school work was a mess. We did everything Julius asked of us without question- at least we’re in charge now,” A says and Johnny nods at that. “But it felt right- everything was always jumping right in and trying my hardest. I could do my first impulse, no extra thoughts needed. Now things are more complicated.”

“Yeah that was fun. It’s hard to look back though knowing what happened. I don’t ever want to go back to liking and respecting fucking Julius. And fuck Dex and Troy too.... I do miss Lin though.” Johnny sighs. A knows he won’t say he misses Aisha because she is not gone in the same way that Lin is gone. Yet she aches at the loss of both of them. Carlos too. She has to keep her friends close to her at this point- she doesn’t want to lose anymore.

“I’m sorry-“

“Nothing to be sorry about.”

“It may not be our fault but there’s a lot to be sorry about Johnny,” A says and steals a still smoldering blunt that Shaundi had left.

“Let’s go blow some shit up.” Johnny says stealing a drag before handing the blunt back. A takes another drag and gets up.

“It’s been a while.”

“It’ll be fun.” Johnny says with a grin and they walk out of her office together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one could probably use some more work but I wanted to post something again.


	5. Sloppy Sleep

A is laying on the couch with an ice pack pressed to her head when a knock wakes her. She stumbles to the door and glances through the peephole. There is the sound of the door being unlocked and then Troy is standing across from her. 

 

“Hey, babe,” Troy gives a tired smile. 

 

“I was wondering if you were ever going to show up,” A jokes lightly. She leans towards him and they’re lips touch lightly. A pulls away and pulls him inside her shitty apartment. The smell of cigarettes come with him. They crash into the couch and lean against each other. Troy drapes an arm around her. The two of them are practically on top of each other, they are so close. A streetlight outside and the tv which is showing an old action movie are the only light in the apartment.

 

“I ordered pizza, it should be here soon,” A  yawns. Troy nods with eyes closed. A moves and he opens his eyes slowly. A slides onto his lap and wraps one arm around his neck. The other hand snakes it’s way into his hair. Troy slowly smiles and lets his hands rest on A’s hips. A leans towards him until they’re making out on the couch.

 

They’re slower than usual- both tired from a long day of fighting. Troy is also trying to avoid the big purple bruise forming on A’s face. Troy has two ribs that match the purple bruises. A actively avoids those too. This does not stop wandering hands and mouths though.

 

Troy’s shirt lays in a ball next to A’s shirt and pants when there is a knock. 

 

“Fuck. The pizza.” A says with a laugh. A grabs a blanket and wraps it around herself. Troy chuckles as she answers the door dressed like that. 

 

She returns with a pizza but throws it on the counter and is almost immediately back next to Troy. 

 

“Pizza first? Or continue where we were?” A says with a look at Troy’s now messy hair. Troy hums quietly. 

 

“You have any beer?” Troy asks. A smiles. She’s still only 20 but she keeps her fridge stocked. 

 

“Of course.” 

 

“Pizza first then,” Troy decides. He stands up and pulls A up with him. They walk to the kitchen like some four legged creature, stumbling and laughing.

 

A grabs a cold beer for them both. They stand across from each other and drink their beers and eat their pizza. Outside rain starts falling and Troy glances out the window. 

 

“Classes are almost done, yeah?” Troy asks, a hand covering a mouth full of pizza. 

 

“Yeah only two weeks left. Then I can really focus on the Saints,” A says between bites. Troy looks away at that and stares out the window. 

 

“Yeah... I guess you can. You excited to graduate and be done with it?” Troy says and turns back to her. A decides that he looks more drained than usual. 

 

“Yeah I’m ready to be done. I’ve never been good at paying attention and focusing so... it’ll be easier to move away from academics.” A says gesturing with her pizza as she talks. Troy’s mouth quirks up at it and Alia doesn’t seem to notice she’s doing it until she sees his smile. They both laugh together. 

 

Most of the pizza disappears slowly and four beers are gone too. 

 

“I’ll meet you in my room in a second. Let me put up the pizza,” A says. Troy nods slowly and heads to the room. She waits for the smell of a cigarette as she puts up the pizza. She can picture him, leaning out the window blowing smoke out. A walks to her bedroom and almost trips on Troy’s shoes placed next to the door. She’s shocked she’s not used to there orderly position by the door yet.

 

A walks towards his figure ready to return to where they were. As she leans down to him, Troy lets out a quiet snore. A freezes. 

 

Then she laughs and takes off her jeans and crawls into bed next to him. She pulls his arm over her like a blanket. His body snaps into place like a magnet and A grins even in the darkness. 

 

“You’re such an old man,” Alia chuckles and tucks against him as close as possible. She doesn’t really mind- they’re both tired as hell. As school comes to a close, events seem to happen faster and faster. A clock seems to be ticking toward some unknown event. 

 

Alia flinches when Troy’s voice rasps, “shut up and go to sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even going to try to promise consistent posting. But check every once in a while cause I'm not giving up on this. Might have a side Saints Row project coming up soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song- By My Side by the Interrupters. 
> 
> This is my first fic so if you leave a comment I'd be super appreciative.


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